Closing the Distance
by Steel Kiba
Summary: Ichika and Houki have come home after dealing Phantom Task a significant blow, but they don't stay in one place for long. What will Chifuyu have to say? What can she say? What can she even do? Ichouki present, but not the focus.


**Editing Note: for those of you who read a strange-looking version of this story earlier, something happened with the paste tool that melded text together where it shouldn't have been. I've corrected the issue, but let me know if the issue keeps coming up.**

**Thanks so much for your interest! Let me know what other IS or Ichouki stories you'd like to see!**

"Ichika…"

Chifuyu Orimura stood by herself at the train station, staring off into the distance. With the exception of her clothing—her professional IS Academy suit replaced by a plain black sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans—not one thing about her looked different. Her stone-faced expression, her tight posture, her arms crossed—everything about her looked normal.

"You bonehead…"

She uttered these last words quietly, still keeping her eyes locked straight ahead. The afternoon sun hung over a huge mountain, illuminating all of the greenery that dotted the rocky edifice and the land that supported it. A lazy summer breeze pushed the faraway bushy treetops to the east. The wind also blew a few strands of Chifuyu's raven hair to the side, but she did nothing. She just kept staring at the mountainside.

Chifuyu had come home earlier than everyone else at the IS Academy. After Phantom Task's latest assault and the IS students' narrow victory, everything had just been too much. The constant invasions, the bomb scare on the train car, Makoda's appearance…

_Makoda. How in the hell?_

Chifuyu shook her head, chuckling just a little bit. Of course she and Ichika had a long lost sister, and it only made sense that she'd be fighting for the enemy. It may have seemed crazy to other people, but it was only logical given everything that had happened since her little brother joined the academy. And even that, which seemed crazy enough, made the most sense. Of all of the men in the world that could harness the female-oriented Infinite Stratos technology, _her_ kid brother was the one. Her klutzy, straightforward, too-nice-for-his-own-good kid brother.

"Bonehead…" she repeated. Well, Ichika was at least less of one now. Over the past couple of years, he had gotten better at utilizing his IS and, what a shock, actually developing some battle strategy other than swinging a sword. Chifuyu could thank two things for that, the first being his friends.

_Oh lord…those damn girls…_

Now Chifuyu had to stop herself from bursting out into laughter, but she never moved her arms to clasp her mouth. Her erect stance never changed. It seemed that more of her demeanor had rubbed off on her students than she thought. Every time Ichika screwed up in any way, Houki, Charl, Rin, Cecilia, Laura, and the Sarashiki sisters were always there to talk sense into him or give him a kick in the pants—literally. How many times had they slapped, kicked, or punched him? What about chasing him with their IS models? And a lot of that was just when they were vying for his affection, but Ichika eventually totally smartened up to that too. Or at least he partially did. He did say he loved Houki ever since they were kids.

_"And here we go to her…little punk," _the elder Orimura said to herself. Houki Shinonono certainly had the most guts of the students outside of battle. She proved that after they neutralized Phantom Task's latest raid, before Chifuyu left after blazing through all of her briefings with the authorities.

_"Your brother has almost died more than once now. Shouldn't you say anything to him?"_

_"He's made some foolhardy decisions in battle and suffered the consequences. He's doubling up on his training and is actually using his head a little better now. What's there to say, Shinonono?"_

_Houki paused, running a hand through her huge chestnut ponytail. "Well, Ms. Orimura, he's your brother. And he's come through a lot. Don't you have anything nice to say to him?"_

_"My interactions with my family are my business, not any of yours. I don't have to explain anything to you."_

_Houki shrugged, leaning up against the white wall of the hallway. "Just wondering if you cared."_

_Chifuyu stood with her back to Houki, asking in a flat tone, "Isn't all that mushy crap your job? If you think he needs a hug or something, than give it to him."_

_"Yeah, yeah," Houki said, her voice rising. "I know you're the big academy leader and the strongest IS pilot around. You have your own ways of doing things and all that. But have you ever looked at Ichika when he's around you? He just wants you to say something kind to him!"_

_"That's enough, Shinonono!" Chifuyu snapped, turning to face her petulant-sounding pupil._

_"Why, because the only person you show any kindness to is Ms. Yamada? Oh, you'll give her all the love she wants!"_

_Instead of yelling even louder, this made Chifuyu laugh. "You have one too many gin and tonics at a gathering and suddenly a kiss becomes talk of the town. Jeez, kid, you're so blind and nosy. What I do in that department is my business, but don't worry your little head. I don't have time for any of that. Besides, have you seen Ms. Yamada's hand recently? She's not going to be a miss for much longer. She's marrying a nice doctor from the U.S. this summer."_

_"Dr. Young? Wow." Houki spoke. Dr. Tyrell Young, who was from Michigan, was a new clinician at the academy, the only other male present at the academy besides Ichika. He had been spending some time with Ms. Yamada, but she thought he was catching up on all of the IS specifications._

_"I guess his denseness has rubbed off on you," Chifuyu remarked, turning to go down the hallway. "We done here?"_

_Houki sighed and did the same. There was no getting through to her. "Yes, ma'am. Just thought you'd like to say something to Ichika."_

_"I say plenty of things to him," Chifuyu answered, not noticing Houki turn around with wide eyes as she finished her talk. "Again, I'll leave the consoling to you. Cry your eyes out with him. I've already spent too much time doing that last night…"_

And here Chifuyu was, only a couple of weeks after that, looking dead ahead at the landscape outside the train station. Ichika and Houki had come home the other day, looking as happy as ever. They'd barely gotten through the door when he told her that they were going to take a month-long trip seeing all of their friends at their home countries. Apparently Cecilia told Ichika and Houki that travel expenses were no object. One day, and boom, he would be gone the next.

_"Come on, the train leaves at noon!" Ichika yelled, running so hard his flip flops nearly flew off his feet._

_"Ichika, relax!" Houki protested, clutching onto his hand. "It's only 11:30! China isn't going anywhere!"_

_"Yeah, but you said you always like a window seat," he said, smiling and slapping his stomach. "And I want to be near the kitchen car."_

_Houki giggled as they approached their train, Chifuyu standing right behind them, her arms crossed._

_"Hey, you go ahead and get us a seat, Houki," Ichika said. "I'll be on in just a sec."_

_Houki nodded and let go of her boyfriend's hand, going to board the train that would take them to a ferry that would sail to Rin's homeland. Ichika dropped his bag and went over to his sister._

_"You didn't have to see us off, you know," Ichika said, still chipper. "We weren't going to be attacked or anything."_

_"Can't be too sure, kiddo," Chifuyu responded. "You have a habit of nearly dying every time you leave my sight."_

_"I'm getting better at not, though," the boy said. He sighed and continued. "Well, don't have too much of a good time without me around. I'll call you soon."_

_"Sure," Chifuyu said, her mouth never curling into a smile._

_Ichika rubbed the back of his blue hair, then moved closer to his sister, wrapping his arms around her. Chifuyu's eyes widened at the shock of this, only to be shut as she quickly threw her arms around her brother. She squeezed him tight, and he did the same. Chifuyu loosened her grip on Ichika, then planted a soft kiss on his forehead, something she hadn't done since he was little._

_"Be careful," she said quietly._

_"Right," Ichika replied, nodding in understanding. His smile never left his face, not even as he ran to catch up with Houki._

"Miss, are you okay?"

Chifuyu didn't turn to see a porter standing right beside her. She simply nodded, and the attendant shrugged and left. Suddenly, a loud chorus of bells resounded through the station, setting off one ring. The young woman, still with her arms crossed, opened her right palm over her heart, feeling the ridges of a yellow ribbon pinned on her shirt. Before the school year had ended, Dr. Young explained that in America, people wore yellow ribbons on the outside of their clothing in support of their military, honoring their sacrifices and keeping the hope that they would come home safe. Even though her brother and his friends were just students, they knew the call of duty all too well, and they were in danger at every waking moment. _He _was in danger every waking moment.

She thought the ribbon idea was a nice gesture, but she chose to wear it on the inside of her shirt instead, and had every day since.

Chifuyu continued to clutch at the symbol for only a few seconds. She then crossed her arms again, took a deep breath, and turned to leave the train station.


End file.
